1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to wireless telephones, and more particularly, to a system and method for enabling safe hands-free operation of a wireless telephone in a vehicle.
2. Background of the Invention
It has been reported that using a wireless telephone while driving is a major cause of traffic accidents. Drivers who must keep their wireless telephones close to their ears are unable to keep both hands on the steering wheels. Many governments are enacting laws that regulate the use of wireless telephones in moving vehicles.
Efforts have been made to enable drivers to use their wireless telephones in a xe2x80x9chands-freexe2x80x9d mode. One such effort is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,867,794, which was granted to Hayes et al. on Feb. 2, 1999 (the xe2x80x9c""794 Patentxe2x80x9d). The ""794 Patent discloses a wireless telephone communication device that can be operated in a hands-free mode with received audio signals being relayed to the vehicle""s radio for output on the speakers of the vehicle""s radio. Basically, the device re-transmits the received audio using an FM frequency that is received and reproduced by the radio of the vehicle. The ""794 patent is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
As described below, the present invention relies on pinpointing the location of the wireless telephone relative to the vehicle. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has promulgated new rules related to emergency call processing. The FCC""s wireless Enhanced 911 (E911) rules require certain Commercial Mobile Radio Services (CMRS) carriers to begin transmission of enhanced location and identity information in two phases. The first phase, which began on Apr. 1, 1998, required wireless service providers to transmit a 911 caller""s number and section of the cell site from which the call is originated to a public safety answering point (PSAP). The second phase, scheduled to begin on Oct. 31, 2001, requires all wireless service providers to locate two-thirds of all 911 callers within 125 meters of their physical locations. In other words, for all 911 calls received, a PSAP must be able to pinpoint 67% of the callers within 125 meters. It is expected that location tracking technologies to be utilized to implement E911 are likely to have greater accuracy than that required by the FCC.
Under the FCC rules, wireless communication networks and wireless telephones (or any wireless devices that can be used to call 911), must provide both the identity and location of the caller to a 911 dispatcher. To provide a caller""s identity, the wireless device will furnish a device identification, e.g., a mobile identification number (MIN), indicating in most instances the telephone number of the device. To provide a caller""s location, the wireless communication networks and wireless devices will use a network-based location system or a handheld location system installed within the wireless devices, or a combination of the two systems. An example of a handheld location system is a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver. U.S. Pat. No. 5,663,734, which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a GPS receiver and a method for processing GPS signals.
The present invention is a system and method for enabling safe hands-free operation of a wireless telephone in a vehicle. One embodiment of the invention disables or suspends wireless communication capabilities of the wireless telephone until the wireless telephone is docked in or mated with the vehicle to allow a hands-free operation of the wireless telephone. Another embodiment disables or suspends operation of the vehicle until mating units of the wireless telephone and the vehicle are united so that the wireless telephone can be operated hands-free. Different technologies can be used to determine the presence of the wireless telephone within the vehicle. A number of different methods can be used to disable one of the wireless telephone and the vehicle. Similarly, a variety of ways can be utilized to implement the hands-free mode of the wireless telephone.
In one embodiment, location tracking technology is utilized to determine the presence of the wireless telephone within the vehicle. In this embodiment, location information pinpointing the locations of both the wireless telephone and the vehicle is processed by a microprocessor to determine whether a potentially unsafe condition exists for simultaneous use of the wireless telephone and the vehicle. If the unsafe condition exists, e.g., if the wireless telephone is located within a moving vehicle, then the wireless telephone is disabled unless and until the wireless telephone is switched to a hands-free mode. Preferably, the hands-free mode is enabled only when the wireless telephone is docked in or mated with the vehicle.
In another embodiment, the vehicle is adapted to interfere with wireless communication capabilities of the wireless telephone when the wireless telephone is located within the vehicle. Preferably, when the vehicle is in motion, a device installed in the vehicle creates an interference that disrupts any wireless communication attempted by the driver or the passengers. Preferably, the interference is calibrated to affect a limited space within the vehicle. For example, if the device is installed in the steering wheel of the vehicle, no wireless communication session may be established by the wireless telephone within a two-foot distance of the steering wheel. When the wireless telephone is docked in or mated with the vehicle, the interference is terminated to enable hands-free operation of the wireless telephone. The device may be, for example, a transceiver that can generate appropriate radio signals to interfere with the wireless telephone""s operation.
During the hands-free mode, audio signals received by the wireless telephone are channeled, routed, or otherwise transmitted to one or more speakers that can reproduce or output sound at a decibel level loud enough for the user/driver to hear without putting the wireless telephone next to his or her ear. In one implementation, the speaker may be that which is normally used to output sounds from a radio. In another implementation, the speaker may be a dedicated speaker installed in the vehicle for the purposes of the invention. In still another implementation, the speaker may be a component of the wireless telephone itself.
In preferred embodiments of the invention, the wireless telephone or the vehicle, or both, are equipped with a sound module. The sound module works during the hands-free mode. The sound module enables the user to perform a number of tasks hands-free, for example, the driver can dial telephone numbers using his or her voice with the sound module.